Steam-generator.



PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

T. LANGER. STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.

2 SHEBTSSHBET 1.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES.-

24 Attorney! No. 777,736. Y PATENTED DEC. 20, 1904.

- T. LANGER.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. 1904. NO MODEL. ZSHBETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented December 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM-GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,736, dated December 20, 1904:. Application filed February 24,1904. Serial No. 195,093.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEoDoR LANGER, a citi- Zen of Austria-Hungary, residing-at Lucerne, Republic of Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam- Generators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In connection with steam-generators with smoke-consuming furnaces the action of which is based on the employment of jets of steam which spread over the lire-bars the practice hitherto has been either to allow the steam to act continuously with uniform force over the layer of fuel, or to reduce gradually by an arrangement of valves the jets of steam, which have been adjusted to a certain strength at starting, accordingly as the smoke is removed, during the time the coal is being fed. This alone is not sufficient in connection with steampower generators in which the power, and consequently the steam, required is subject to considerable variations, as will be illustrated by the following example, taken from the working of a locomotive.

The locomotive-furnace, as is known, is worked partially with an artificial air-current, this being the case when the steam-regulator or throttle is openthat is to say, when the engine is workingand partially with a natural draft of air, which is the case when the throttle is closedthat is to say, when the locomotive is stationary or running idly. 'WVhen the throttle is open, the steam passes from the steam-dome to the slide-valve chests on the steam-cylinders and, after acting in the latter, passes through the exhaustpipes into the smoke-box, where these exhaust-pipes unite in the blast-pipe N. The exhaust-steam which flows through the blast-pipe induces a very powerful draft of air in the fire-box. In this case the jets of steam acting above the layer of fuel must have a certain strength, corresponding to the forced combustion. In the second casethat is, when the throttle is closed and the draft of air is consequently diminishedthe large quantity of steam provided in the first case would have an unfavorable effect on the furnace, as it would dull the layer of fuel and reduce the temperature of the fire-box after a time below the ignitingpoint of certain hydrocarbon gases which would be formed, so that a quantity of unconsumed smoke would bediscernible. Finally, when the locomotive is stationary the forced jets of steam, adjusted for the journey, produce a considerable noise, which under certain circumstances may prove troublesome, as signals may not be heard or verbal communication be rendered difiicult. For these reasons when the locomotive is stationary or running idly the driver of the locomotive moderates the supply of steam to the pipe that provides the jets of steam, by throttling the same. It may happen, however, that when beginning the journeythat is to say, at the time when in consequence of the opening of the throttle the draft is considerably increasedhe may omit to open the control-valve in the pipe for furnishing the jets of steam, whereby an otherwise perfect smoke-consuming device is rendered ineffectual. The same thing occurs in the case of stationary engines if the draft is suddenly reduced to a considerable extent by means of a throttle-valve. The means for regulating the steam-jet in steam-generators, which forms the object of this invention, is intended to obviate this disadvantage. This means consists in the introduction of a control-valve in the pipe through which the steam for the steam-jets is conveyed, such device communicating with a part which effects the diminution or increase of the draft in the fire-box, (for example, the throttle of the locomotive,) so that whenthis part is adjusted, resulting in a reduction of the draft, the diameter of the steam-jet supplypipe is automatically diminished by means of the control-valve; but, on the other hand, when this part is adjusted for a powerful draft the diameter of that pipe is enlarged.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of such a device applied to a locomotive, Figure 1 representing the smoke-box with the blast-pipe and the auxiliary blower in vertical section, and Fig. 2 the control-valve, while Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the various parts of the complete device in their relative positions, and Fig. 4 is an end view.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the pipe a conducts the steam from the steamdome 6 to the cylinder of the locomotive in the usual way, the entrance of the steam to the pipe at being controlled by the slide-valve 0, which valve is pivotally connected with an arm a, secured to the rock-shaft cl, which extends to the rear end of the boiler. Upon the projecting end of this shaft (Z is mounted a throttle-lever f, by means of which the shaft may be rocked and the throttle-valve 0 may be opened and closed, and thereby the supply of steam to the cylinder controlled.

Upon the rear end of the locomotive is mounted a housing E, with the interior of which the steam-pipe B communicates. One end of this pipe 13 taps the steam-space of the boiler at g, while the other end of said pipe leads to the fire-box la, and there terminates in a spray pipe or nozzle 2'. WVithin the housing is arranged the valve C, the spindle F of which is connected with one arm of an anglelever 76 and the other arm of this angle-lever is connected by means of the link Z with the throttle-lever f.

Connected with the interior of the housing E at H is a pipe K, which extends along the boiler and communicates with the annular auxiliary blower M, arranged about the mouth of the blast-pipe N, the blower M being also connected by means of a pipe on with the steamdome. The pipe 42? contains a valve n, which may be operated from the rear of the boiler by means of the rod 0, whereby steam may be supplied direct to the auxiliary blower through the pipe 722 independent of the pipe K, which pipe K serves for the automatic supply of steam to the auxiliary blower in inverse ratio to the supply of steam to the steam-jet a'.

A is a valve-chamber arranged in the jet supply-pipe B; C, the valve belonging thereto, which is prevented from turning by the pin D.

O is a Valve-chamber connected, through the chamber A, with the pipe B. This valvechamber 0 communicates with the dischargepipe H, to which the auxiliary-blast pipe K is attached. The communication is controlled by means of the valve J.

The spindle F serves both for adjusting the valve C and for opening the valve J and is so connected with the throttle of the locomotive that when the latter is moved toward its closed position the diameter of the passage is diminished, but is enlarged when the throttle moves in the opposite direction.

The action of this steam-jet regulator or control-valve is as follows: If the throttle is brought near to the closing position, the supply of steam to the slide-valve chests on the cylinders and from these to the blast-pipe N is, on the one hand, reduced, the consequence of which is a reduction of the draft in the fire-box, while, on the other hand, by this movement of the throttle a simultaneous displacement of the spindle F to the right according to Fig. 2 or to the left according to Fig. 4: is automatically effected, whereby the slide C and the valve J are so adjusted that the steam flowing to the steam-jets is throttled and the passage to the auxiliary-blast pipe K is opened. If the throttle be again adjusted for an in creased supply of steam to the cylinders, the spindle F moves to the left in Fig. 2 or to the right in Fig. 4, the auxiliary-blast pipe is shut off, and the supply of steam to the steamjets increased. As soon as the valveJ is in the open position steam flows out of the pipe B through the auxiliary-blast pipe K to the auxiliary-blast pipe M. However, as the outletopening of the auxiliaryblast pipe is quite small as compared with the mouth of the blast-pipe, the impulse imparted to the natural draft by the opening of the valve J is'not considerable, and the continuation of a slow combustion in the fire-box is insured, even when the locomotive is stationary.

The spindle F, which controls the valve J, that regulates the supply of steam to the combustion-jets, may be directly connected with the steam-regulator by means such as those shown or may be indirectly connected therewith, for instance, by means of a differential piston, which is actuated in consequence of the diminution of pressure that occurs in the slide-valve chests when the steam-regulator is closed.

I claim- 1. In a steam-generator, the combination, with a blast so arranged so as to createa forced draft, a throttle for regulating the said blast, and an auxiliary blast arranged adjacent to the main blast, of means for supplyingsteam to the combustion area, a steam-sup ply pipe, branch passages leading therefrom to the auxiliary blast and to the combustion area, a control-valve arranged to simultaneously open one passage and close the other, and a connection between the throttle and the controlvalve whereby the steam is directed either to the auxiliary blast or to the combustion area according as the forced draft is diminished or increased.

2. In a steam-generator, the combination, with a blast so arranged as to create a forced draft, a throttle for regulating the blast, and an auxiliary blast concentric to the main blast, of steam-jets so arranged as to supply steam to the combustion area, a steam-supply pipe, branch passages leading therefrom to the auxiliary blast and to the steam-jets, a controlvalve arranged to simultaneously open one passage and close the other, and aconnection between the throttle and the control-valve whereby as the forced draft is increased the auxiliary-draft is diminished and the supply of steam to the jets is increased and When the forced draft is diminished the auxiliary draft ICO is increased and the supply of steam to the jets is diminished.

3. In a steam-generator, the combination, with a blast so arranged as to create a forced draft, a throttle for regulating the blast, and an auxiliary blast arranged adjacent to the main blast, of-means for supplying steam to the combustion area, a steam-supply pipe, branch passages leading therefrom to the auxiliary blast and to the combustion area, a valve-casing arranged at the junction of the two branches and providinga valve-chamber, an inlet-port communicating with the steamsupply, outlet-ports communicating With the combustion area and with the auxiliary blast, a control-valve comprising a valve-stem having two valves arranged on opposite sides of and controlling the respective exit-ports, a connection between the throttle and the valvestem for simultaneously opening the one port and closing the other and thereby directing the steam-supply to the area of combustion or to the auxiliary blast according as the main blast is thrown into or out of operation.

4. In a steam-generator, the combination, with a blast so arranged as to create a forced draft, and an auxiliary blast, of means for supplying steam to the combustion area, a steam-supply pipe, branch passages leading therefrom to the auxiliary blast and to the combustion area, a control-valve arranged to simultaneously open one passage and close the other to direct the flow of steam either to the auxiliary blast or to the combustion area, and means for supplying steam to the auxiliary blast independently of the supply of steam to the combustion area.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature to this specification in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

THEODOR LANGER. WVitnesses:

EDUARD VON WALDKIROH, FRIEDRICH NAEGELI. 

